The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-08
MRS. STOWE FAILING.
The Author of Uncle Toms Cabin
Declares that Her Work Is Done.
Boston Sunday Record. ]


mo, write no more. | have done,
have done, have doneP'
Anything more pitiful. more pathetic,
more tragic, cannot be imagined than the
effect of the above few words, coming in
broken and faltering accents from the lips Of
Harriet Beeeher Stowe.
That the bri ght intellect Of the author Of
Uncle Toms Cabin" is undoubtedly shat
tered cannot be longer denied.
The path0s, enthusiasm and fire that have
built her fame are all blended into q child
like and pitiful simplicity. The scenes and
events that have been the soil for soul food
for millions of thinking people are all merg-
ca INTO broken dreams. The well-filled
shelves IN her library alone carry the burden
Of sorrow, strife and Joy that have rift the
brain-motner with thei- travail, and eternity
Is even now half way here to meet the grand
soul to which Is aseribed the honor Of being
one OF the direct causes of precipitating the
civil War through her wonderful human
bible.
The general effect Of the city of Hartford
Is that of a large private flower garden.
Money, skill and cultivation speak from
every carefully clipped hedge row, every
closely mown turf, every luxuriant garden
bed. The air is laden with flower perfume.
still with the hush Of soft pavements, and
clean as Acknowledgements.
just outside the wall of such a garden you
have come across little shady nook Of nat
ural woods, so sheltered, so flower laden, SO
neat, it would seem as If the hand of man
must have been there also. You invOlun-
tarily look for dwelling place close by.
But the beauty is entirely ''woodsey," the
howers are all wild, the foliage trimmed to
natures taste, and only the suggestion OF
cultivation is there. So it Is with the resi-
dence OF Harriet Beecher Stowe, compared
with the palatial residences on either side OF
her fower-girt home at No. 40 Forest street.
The house Is low, irregular and old-fash-
ioned, without being tumbledown. The
walks look not as if made to walk on, but by
walking on; the trees bother one above low
height, the grounds look as if the lawn
mower were considered nuisance, and 1t
was thought that flowers thr0ye best when
most let alone-which, indeed, would seem
10 be tile case, for so great profusiOn neither
Of the others can boast. The style of the in
terror Is neither literary, religious, artistic
nor rural, but peculiar combination Of all
four, which is q family trait
Prominent In the study, in a niche be-
tween two windows, stands a picture of
Henry Ward Beecher, so large, so strong, so
llfelike, that 1t seems as if he were the host,
standing ready to entertain the guests of
his dear old sister, who adored him. Many
Dne paintings cover the walls, of a semi
religious cast, and by the old masters. Her
book shelves are ranged in the walls, not
hanging outside thea or in case, and flowers
In the greatest pr0fu ion fill every nook and
corner. Blue pervad the furnishing; the
Venus de Milo, the Ma l0nna and child. and
the Duke and Duchess Of Argyle keep each
other mute company through the long un-
broken stiffness which bespeak the frequent
absences Of the gentle hostess, for she Is a
great outdoor woman, and may be seen TAX
ing her walks step by step through the trees
tnese beautiful June mornings, her plain
black dress covered with dandelion down.
her hands filled with flowers, and her thin,
dark face, Drowned by constant exposure,
framed In loose gray locks and black bonnet,
neither peaceful nor troubled, but waiting.
The dim, gray eyes light up in converse
ton, however, and some sparks come from
between the pale lips now and again, that
impress one with what must have been Her
manners have more kindly than courteous
alr, and are tinted with the grace of modern
as.well as 0ld-time customs. Her hearing is
wonderfully acute, and her intelligence
glldes along side by side with that OF her
guests, whom she receives with the air of an
Old traveller hailing q young one from some
ioIeign part-nelther curious nor interesting
but torbearing
Yes, my dear, loved to write and began
very young. | especially liked writing short
stories when l lived in Brunswick, Me. For
these used to get SIS, $40, S25-go0d pay in
tnoSe hoS times l never thought Of writing
book when | commenced Uncle Toms Cab
m became first reused on the subject Of
slavery when / lived in Cincinnati, and used
TO see escaping slaves come over the Ohio
from Kentucky All mel it thrills me even
now, the sight OF those poor creatures Now
a young girl, suggesting the lover, parent or
brother for whom her heart was breaking in
bondage; again the strong husband, aged
Iather or Stalwart brother. On, Imust write
a story to stop the dreadful shamel kept
putting y off, dreading bringing the charac-
tiers to life, till the fugitive slave law lashed
me into fury, and | commenced what
l meant to be short story like the
others. But it grew and grew and
grew, and came and came and came wrote
ana wrote and wrote, and thought never
turned out / was only full Of the wrath, and
ana the story built itself around 1t as wrote
a publisher was waiting n story from me- |
told him the subject / had undertaken. He
wrote, saying: You have struck a popular
topic; for heavens sake keep it shortv |
wrote in reply: L shall stop when | get
through, not before He never got it, for
had TO make book Of it, While writing Ii
was filled with an enthusiasm which trans
fused my being, knew no hindrance, no
rival interest, no relief but in writing 1t.
had young children, was keeping house and
teaching school at the time, and never worked
so hard; but had to write. Dinner had to be
got, knew. This had to be written, just as
much-aye, and more, tool 1t was as though
Il was written through me, | only holding
the pen. was lifted off my feet. Satisfied?
! never Thought about being satisfied When
1t was done II was finished and relief came
never felt the same with anything | after
ward wrote. DreadY AhI yes; It was son
slavery too, but it was different. 'Poganic
People interestnd me deeply. / grew to
have deep sympathy for little girls at an
age and OF a disposition to be misunderstood
and illtreated. Dolly Is a fac-simile of my
self as child. wrote it to help other chill
dren.
After that 1 wrote for money, | believe.
have felt the need. and now tasted the good
OF 1t, and wrote on for more of il, with
more or less interest or excitement MY
Wife and /, aud We and Our Neighbors'
should be read together then the Minister'S
Island, that Is not good-but there are
none Of them like Uncle Tom and Little
Eva. Poor old Uncle Tom. All. so many,
and so long agol"
!, Here the gray eyes drop the light out Of
them, the thin, brown hands wander to the
white locks, and those knowing the dear old
lady well know that soon they will be asked
20 excuse her, while. she lies down Ito rest a
little while"
"Ah, dear no, 1 am not writing anything
now. shall never write anything any
more. have donel | have donel / have
done" And she lies down little while
80 rest"
Speaking Of this wonderful woman's brain
and attachments, her husband, Prof. Stowe,
was wont to say that he always felt like
toad sitting beside an apple tree compared
with his vile. Yet he was a very learned
man, professor in Cambridge University.
and was one of those who helped translate
the New Testament. He was great book
lover, and was known for his basket of
books which he carried on his arm, without
which he never appeared, at home or abroad,
morning. noon or night.
His death, about two years ago, has added
years to the loving wife, and broken her
down more than any other of the untoward
circumstances of her eventful life.
Her home adjoins that of Mark Twain. the
little beaten pathway running from the sim
pie back st0op" of the authoress to the
more solid, modern and elegant veranda OF
the great American humorist.
American Institute OF Homeopathy
The American Institute of Homeopathy
convened in its fortieth annual session at
Saratoga, N. ", Monday evening, June
9th, and continued until the following Fri
day afternoon.
There was a large attendance, probably
about 400 physicians The bureau Of organ
ization, registration and statistics reported
IA homeopathic medical colleges. Upwards
OF 1900 students are in attendance at these
schools and AGO are graduated annually.
There are 56 hospitals, three insane asy
INNu.